Costa del Sol's Property Specialists

Different Construction Methods on the Costa del Sol

Every country has a different way of life and they also have different building methods. In Spain a typical home is built with a reinforced concrete frame, whereas in the UK, they are built with load-bearing walls. So due to Spanish homes being built differently, they will also have different structural problems.

As we all know, 25 years ago, homes on the Costa del Sol were not being built to a high standard and it is true to that currently homes are being built to a standard that is accepted in Europe. We have surveyed many properties and we would like to give you a few examples of our findings:

Rising damp.

Homes built without gutters or down-pipes.

Leaking basements and roof terraces.

No mains or water.

Pools with cracks.

Electrical and plumbing installations sub-standard and sometimes not present.

Settlement to swimming pools.

Termite and other infestations.

Retaining walls incorrectly constructed or missing altogether.

What is Planned in your Area

You have arrived or wanting to move to the sun and you are now ready to find your new home. Let us help and assisted you in where and what to buy because who knows what has been planned for your area. Maybe a home is to be built in front of you, blocking your view or a new road has been planned to run along side you. Maybe what you want to purchase has been built without legal permits or that it is extremely noisy in summer.

We are on your side and we will inform you of the good, the bad and the ugly that is down here on the Costa del Sol.

Different Repair Methods

As you now know that typical Spanish homes are constructed differently, so in turn they would be repaired differently. Defects that you might find on your Spanish home might not be as serious as if you found the same defect on your home in Europe and visa versa.

An example would be using silicone injection to damp-proof an area. In Spain, this treatment is ineffective with Spanish construction types.

How Legal is your Property

In Spain you have permit that allows you to build on so much of the plot size. It is important to have the built areas measured to see if they comply with the planning regulations. It would be also beneficial to compare the measurements to the areas given in the legal title to see if what is being described matches what the surveyor has.

It is also important to bear in mind that if you have a basement or an additional floor built, it might be illegal. This will not always be picked up by your lawyer because they sometimes have not seen the property.